Interview Response Time Affects Your Reputation

Interview Response Time Affects Your Reputation

We know that response time after the interview has a big impact on the entire hiring process. The extent of that impact is even larger than we thought. Last year we surveyed job seekers on the length of the hiring process and received interesting results. We’ve talked about how time matters based on results from our recent survey. Candidates will only wait for communication for so long. But how does that wait affect your company reputation among job candidates? The results to question 7 of the survey explore that topic well.

Questions 7 asked:

When faced with a lengthy hiring process, which of the following describes your feelings?

25% of respondents chose:I question the company’s ability to make other decisions if they can’t seem to make a timely hiring decision.

20% of respondents chose:I lose respect for the company when they prolong the process, provide little communication or feedback through the process.

19% of respondents chose:I lose interest in the role and pursue other job openings.

18% of respondents chose:It effects my self-esteem. I feel if they really wanted me, they would move quickly.

11% of respondents chose:I don’t mind. I’m willing to go through a long hiring process to work for a great organization.

5% of respondents chose:I completely understand and respect their need to be thorough.

1% of respondents chose:I lose interest in the role and decide to stay in my current job.

1% of respondents chose:Other

This question shows how important a good first impression can be on both sides of the interview table. Your responsiveness after the interview shapes how the candidate views your company. Not only does a slow response after the interview risk losing out on a very qualified candidate, it can also damage your overall reputation as a company. Interviews don’t happen in a bubble. A talented potential hire has contacts throughout your industry.

The good news is that it is easy to eliminate the risk of this hit to your reputation entirely. The small act of letting a candidate know what to expect after an interview and when they are likely to receive information on next steps can set their mind at ease.

We explore the full results of our survey in some past blog posts and bring hiring advice to you each week. So, be sure to follow us on Linkedin to receive all of those updates and click here to learn more about how the recruiters at Career 1 Source can help you find the best talent for your organization.